The effects of length of residence (LOR) on L2 English phonology

This study is a phonetic investigation of six Cantonese L1-English L2 students living in Englishspeaking countries. The students were recorded three times during their first year abroad: before immigration, at six months, and at one year. Phonetic details from the three recordings have been measured and compared. Preliminary results suggest gradual but significant phonological reorganization during their first year after immigration. Suprasegmental modifications include increases in speech rate, a higher durational variability for vowels, and a lower global vocalic content in utterances. Segmental modifications include a widening distinction between /iː/ and /ɪ/, and, among the students studying in North America, a propensity for replacing word-medial /th/ with alveolar flaps. Taken together, these findings can broaden understanding of L2 phonological development, and the ways in which isolated phonetic modifications contribute to global foreign accent.